This film is the classic gangster tale, directed by Howard Hawks (RED RIVER) and produced by Howard Hughes. The story deals with the rise of Tony Camonte (Paul Muni, THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA) in the ranks of organized crime. Along with PUBLIC ENEMY and LITTLE CAESAR, this film is considered a landmark in gangster films. It is also noted for pushing the boundaries of screen violence. It was actually released in two versions, so that it could play in certain States.
Tony is a thug and murderer for crime boss Johnny Lovo (Osgood Perkins, GOLD DIGGERS OF 1937). He’s reckless and violent and gets a thrill for the kill. Just take note of his childlike giddiness when he gets his first tommy gun. He rules over his sister Cesca (Ann Dvorak, MERRILY WE LIVE) with an iron fist and constantly tries to seduce his boss’ girl Poppy (Karen Morley, MATA HARI).
Hawks’ camera work is wonderful. The black & white cinematography fits the gangster genre perfectly. Muni plays Tony so intriguingly. He’s not bright, but his ambition and willingness to do anything brings him success as well as leads to his downfall. Both Dvorak and Morley provide solid supporting work, along with George Raft (SOME LIKE IT HOT) as Tony’s right hand man Guino Rinaldo and Boris Karloff (FRANKENSTEIN) as rival gang leader Gaffney.
Tony’s seduction of his boss’ girl actually works better in this film than the Brian DePalma remake. However, the 1983 version is a bit more fleshed out and doesn’t contain the original’s two major detriments. Hurting the film are scenes with the cops and town officials pontificating about moral outrage and the ill-placed slapstick involving the ridiculously dimwitted gangster Angelo (Vince Barnett, CHARADE).
In the end, thanks to a solid screenplay by Ben Hecht (who did many of Hitchcock’s scripts), the film still remains relatively fresh. It’s a quintessential gangster film that helped define the genre. It may have been improved upon since its debut, but it still stands as an interesting and compelling piece of cinema.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
